NASSIR ASSAR

 
NASSIR ASSAR  
Nassir Assar, the former Secretary-General of the Central Treaty Organization (Cento) and Director of Iran's Organization for Religious Endowments and Affairs, passed away peacefully in his Bethesda home surrounded by his loved ones on October 4, 2015, at the age of 89. Nassir Assar was born in Tehran in February, 1926. He graduated from the Faculty of Law at Tehran University in 1945, when he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was posted to Iranian embassies in Germany, Turkey and the United Nations and also served as director-general for international affairs in the prime minister's office. In 1964 he was appointed to head the Endowment's Organization. The position, which he held until 1972, entailed oversight over the country's numerous religious endowments, management of relations with clerical leaders on endowment affairs, and travel to and exchanges with counterparts in a number of Islamic countries. In 1972, he returned to the Foreign Ministry to serve as Secretary-General of Cento (1972-75), as under-secretary for political and parliamentary affairs (1975-77) and as an adviser to the foreign minister (1977-79). Nassir is survived by his wife, Gina, his son, Amir, and his daughter, Mariam. A memorial will be held for him on October 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Bethesda Marriot Hotel, 5151 Pooks Hill Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.